[which] adj [ME, of what kind, which, fr. OE hwilc; akin to OHG wilih of what kind, which, OE hwa who, gelik like--more at who, like] (bef. 12c) 1: being what one or ones out of a group--used as an interrogative "~ tie should I wear" "kept a record of ~ employees took their vacations in July"
2: whichever "it will not fit, turn it ~ way you like" 3--used as a function word to introduce a nonrestrictive relative clause and to modify a noun in that clause and to refer together with that noun to a word or word group in a preceding clause or to an entire preceding clause or sentence or longer unit of discourse "in German, ~ language might ... have been the medium of transmission --Thomas Pyles" "that this city is a rebellious city ... : for ~ cause was this city destroyed --Ezra 4:15 (AV)"
[2]which pron (bef. 12c) 1: what one or ones out of a group--used as an interrogative "~ of those houses do you live in" "~ of you want tea and ~ want lemonade" "he is swimming or canoeing, I don't know ~"
2: whichever "take ~ you like" 3--used as a function word to introduce a relative clause--used in any grammatical relation except that of a possessive--used esp. in reference to animals, inanimate objects, groups, or ideas "the bonds ~ represent the debt --G. B. Robinson" "the Samnite tribes, ~ settled south and southeast of Rome --Ernst Pulgram"--used freely in reference to persons as recently as the 17th century "our Father ~ art in heaven --Mt 6:9 (AV)", and still occas. so used but usu. with some implication of emphasis on the function or role of the person rather than on the person as such "chiefly they wanted husbands, ~ they got easily --Lynn White"--used by speakers on all educational levels and by many reputable writers, though disapproved by some grammarians, in reference to an idea expressed by a word or group of words that is not necessarily a noun or noun phrase "he resigned that post, after ~ he engaged in ranching --Current Biog." usage see [4]that